Denzelian
Denzelian Large Aberration (Earth) Hit Dice: 6d8+6 (33 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 30 ft (6 squares), burrow 30 ft Armor Class: 20 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +10 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 19 Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+11 Attack: Touch +6 melee touch (1d4 acid) Full Attack: Touch +6 melee touch (1d4 acid) Space/Reach: 10 ft/5 ft Special Attacks: Acid, crush, trip Special Qualities: Amorphous, tremorsense 60 ft Saves: Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +5 Abilities: Str 17, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 2 Skills: Escape Artist +4, Hide +9* Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Escape Artist) Environment: Underground Organization: Solitary or pair Challenge Rating: 3 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral Advancement: 7-12 HD (Large); 13-18 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment: --- This large creature seems to be composed of smooth stone, though its thick skin is somewhat flexible. This featureless creature is nearly flat, and its acrid stench is horrible. A denzelian is an unusual creature that lives out its centuries-long life deep below ground. Relatively non-aggressive, a denzelian is content to burrow slowly through rock and consume the rich minerals deposits that support its slow metabolism. Denzelians do little more than this, wearing stone away at a rate of about 1 foot per week. A denzelian can move through solid rock, but it avoids metals since they are indigestible. A denzelian will detour around even the smallest deposit, making a rather meandering tunnel. Dwarves and other miners favor the presence of a denzelian, since the maze-like burrows of one of these creatures makes the discovery and mining of precious metals extremely easy. The powerful but slow-working digestive enzymes of a denzelian smell horrible, and their material makes them indigestible to nearly every other living creature - thus denzelians have no natural predators and fear nothing they might encounter. A denzelian's body is supple enough to allow it to squeeze through tight spaces, and to travel up and down inclines. A denzelian can be of any color, depending on what minerals it consumes, from brown and gray, to brilliant red or yellow. Denzelians rely on chance to encounter a mate. One denzelian can detect the sex of another through unknown means. Once two denzelians of opposite sex meet, they always burrow close to one another. The female will only be able to produce eggs once in its thousand-year life, producing 3-8 round eggs that resemble geodes and hatch after 100 years. These eggs are deposited at random throughout the denzelian's burrow, and are never placed near any other eggs. A single denzelian egg is worth 1,000 gold pieces to miners that can identify them as such. Identifying a denzelian egg requires a DC 22 Appraise check. Dwarves do not need to make an Appraise check, however; dwarves can always identify denzelian eggs on sight thanks to their Stonecunning. A denzelian is about 10 feet in diameter and 3-6 inches thick, and weighs 1,000 pounds. Denzelians have a rudimentary language consisting of vibrations sent through rock. Though they do not respond to any other form of communication, a denzelian could be trained to respond to tapping on stony surfaces. COMBAT Denzelians are peaceful rock-eaters that rarely attack except in self-defense. Their usual tactic when faced with an aggressor is to flee. Denzelians will go to great lengths to drive off or kill anything that threatens their young. A frightened denzelian can greatly increase its acid production, allowing it to sink through the rock and escape. When a denzelian dissolves rock rapidly, it leaves a crumbly, blackish, sandlike residue behind. When a denzelian really wishes to attack, it can burrow through the rock until it is above its enemies, and then create a hole to drop through and crush its enemies. As a result of this attack, the gritty substance the denzelian leaves fills the air in a 10-foot radius around the falling denzelian. This debris gets in the eyes, nose, and mouth of nearby creatures, who must succeed on a DC 15 Fortitude save or suffer a –2 to attack rolls for 1d4+1 rounds (or when the substance is washed away). Acid (Ex): A denzelian secretes acid from its entire surface, to allow it to burrow through rock. This acid also serves as a digestive enzyme, breaking down stone and earthen material so that it can be eaten. A denzelian's mere touch deals 1d4 point of acid damage to organic creatures or objects. This acid does not affect metal. Any melee hit deals acid damage. A non-metallic weapon that strikes a denzelian dissolves immediately unless it succeeds on a DC 16 Reflex save. A creature attacking a denzelian with natural weapons takes acid damage each time an attack hits unless the creature succeeds on a DC 16 Reflex save. The save DCs are Constitution-based. A creature falling on top of a denzelian takes 5d4 points of acid damage (Reflex DC 16 half), and all of its non-metallic equipment dissolves and becomes useless immediately unless it succeeds on a DC 16 Reflex save. These save DCs are Constitution-based. The denzelian's acidic touch deals 14 points of damage per round to stone or wooden objects, but the denzelian must remain in contact with the object for 1 full round to deal this damage. Crush (Ex): A falling denzelian can land on an opponent as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. Crush attacks are effective only against one opponent of Medium or smaller size at one time. An affected creature must succeed on a DC 16 Reflex save or be pinned, automatically taking 4d6 points bludgeoning damage and 5d4 points of acid damage during the next round unless the denzelian moves off it. If the denzelian chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. Pinned opponents take damage from the crush and acid each round if they don't escape. The save DC is Constitution-based. Trip (Ex): A charging denzelian that hits with its touch attack can attempt to trip the opponent (+7 check modifier) as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt succeeds, the victim falls on top of the denzelian and takes acid damage. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the denzelian. Amorphous (Ex): A denzelian is not subject to critical hits. It cannot be flanked. Skills: *A denzelian has a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks when in rocky surroundings. Originally found in the first edition Fiend Folio (1981, Lewis Pulsipher) and Monstrous Compendium MC14 - Fiend Folio Appendix (1992). Category:Abberations